Şişecam released its annual Sustainability Report, which covers its activities in architectural glass, industrial glass, glass packaging, glassware, chemicals, energy and other business lines in 2023. It also outlines the company's sustainability approach, contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and performance against targets for 2023.
Strategy and governance
A global player in the glass and chemicals industries, with operations in 14 countries and a strong focus on sustainability, Şişecam's CareforNext 2030 Sustainability Strategy focuses on three pillars: Protect the Planet, Empower Society, and Transform Life. The strategy is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and includes specific targets for 2030.
Additionally, the company devised a new "Plant of the Future" business model to reduce energy usage throughout the company through cutting-edge technologies and alternative energy sources, environmentally friendly production models and reduction of carbon emissions generated during glass production with its renewable energy projects. Şişecam aims to increase its renewable energy usage eightfold by 2030.
The company also dedicated 63.5% of its total R&D budget to sustainability initiatives in 2023, and joined the European Solar Photovoltaic Industry Alliance and European Clean Hydrogen Alliance.
Specific environmental initiatives
In California, Şişecam invested in a port operation to reduce its overall environmental footprint and increase its capabilities for frosted and solar energy glass. The top priorities for management and stakeholders in 2023 per the report centered around climate change, reducing clean water use, circular production (minimizing waste and pollution) and equality, diversity and inclusion.
Şişecam aims to increase its renewable energy capacity to 53 Megawatt peak by 2030, with current installations in Türkiye and Italy. The company is also working on advanced glass-melting furnaces and optimizing energy and raw material utilization to reduce carbon emissions.